Around the SCV: Delio earns first win of fall

CSUN golfer captures Bill Cullum Invite

Three tournaments into Cal State Northridge’s golf season, Saugus High graduate Nick Delio has already notched his first win of the year.

The Matadors senior took first place with an 8-under par at the three-round Bill Cullum Invitational at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Simi Valley from Oct. 25-26.

Delio shot a final-round 67 on the par 72 course to clinch the four-stroke victory over Cal State Bakersfield’s Chase Goodvin and UC Riverside’s Kevin Fitzgerald. He was named Big West Golfer of the Month for his efforts.

It was the second time Delio earned golfer of the month honors. He also won the award for October 2009.

CSUN finished nine strokes behind UC Riverside and seven shots behind San Jose State to take third place as a team at the Bill Cullum Invitational.

Delio had a 72 in the first round and a 69 in the second.

The 2010 PING All-American returns to action Nov. 22-23 for the Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic in El Paso, Texas.

The tournament is by invitation only.

The Matadors’ next tournament, the Anteater Invitational, is Feb. 7-8 in Newport Beach at Big Canyon Country Club.

Passion turned into a career

In 2005, Hart High graduate Ankur Sachdeva came across an article in Tennis Magazine profiling a program that could blend his love of tennis with a long-term career.

He graduated in 2006 and eventually went to work locally in civil engineering.

The love of tennis never went away, and now opportunity has presented itself again.

Sachdeva has enrolled at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. to pursue a career in professional tennis management, the only such program accredited by the United States Professional Tennis Association, according to the school’s official website.

“It took me four years to figure out what I wanted to do, and this is exactly what I want to do with the rest of my life,” he said.

According to figures provided by the university, 100 percent of its graduates find jobs in the tennis industry as USPTA-certified professionals, club and camp managers, tennis directors, manufacturer sales representatives, administrators and more.

Sachdeva said he wants to one day design equipment for top tennis manufacturers like Wilson, Penn and Prince.

“That’s what my goal is right now, but I’ll have to start out somewhere like coaching,” he said.

Now working at an internship with the Ferris State Racket Facility, Sachdeva takes classes ranging from business management to marketing to racket repair.

In 2006, Sachdeva teamed with Kevin Cho to amass a 48-3 doubles record, leading to All-Santa Clarita Valley Doubles Team of the Year honors.

Local misses the Q-School cut

Hart High graduate Joe Greiner finished tied for 35th with a four-round 4-over par in the first stage of the PGA Tour Q-School qualifying tournament held at The Clubs of Kingwood on Friday in Kingwood, Texas.